Moments later, he received a trophy from State Rep. Don Snyder and was cheered by 2,400 fans during a ceremony on Air Products Night in the Lehigh County Velodrome.

"The hardest thing was getting used to the track," said Smith, who will attend Spring House Junior High in a couple of weeks. "I would always have butterflies in my stomach. I was afraid I would fall or lose. Today, I rested all day and felt good about myself."

With many top riders competing in the World Championships in Italy, the evening was dedicated to students of the summer-long Air Products Developmental Program.

In its nine years of existance, the program has developed such talent as Olympic National Team member Dave Lettieri of Scranton and National Championship bronze medalist Maria Wisser of Allentown.

With hard work, Smith hopes to follow their wheel prints.

"I dream of being in the Olympics in 1996 or 2000," Smith said. "That's what I really want to do."

He moved a step closer by taking lessons from highly-rated amateur Steve Edgar during the Air Products Program.

"It's much better being coached by someone like Steve," Smith said. "He knows more than a normal coach who isn't a racer. They can't give you all the details."

Though she's 17, Orefield's Becky Milot didn't learn the details of track cycling until she entered the developmental program this June. Last night, she won the girls' 13-17-year, three-lap scratch race.

"My sister, Lisa, talked me into riding my bike down here last summer to watch (Olympic gold medalist) Steve Hegg cash in his card at McDonald's," said Milot, a senior at Northwestern High. "I met a representative of the Future Champions Cycling Club, who talked me into joining.

"I came out here to see my first bike race on the first Friday of last August. I said 'I wanna do that.'

"This year, I joined the Air Products Program, which had classes two times a week. I never missed any."

According to Pam Handwerk, the community relations representative for Air Products, 300 students enroll in the program each year. And close to 1,000 cyclists have been involved in the program over the past nine years.

According to velodrome officials, Air Products poured in $15,000 this year for the program. It pays off for kids such as Smith and Milot.